Asparagus-harvesting tool.



' APPLIOATION FILED MAY 9, 1910.

A. A. SMITH: ASPARAGUS HARVESTING TOOL.

Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

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Meme/17 A. SMITH. ASPABAGUS HARVESTING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9. 1910.

Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ASA A. SMITH, OF MALAGA, NEW JERSEY.

ASPARAGUS-HARVESTING TOOL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AsA A. SMITH, citizen of the United States, residingat Malaga, in the county of Gloucester and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Asparagus-HarvestingTools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in asparagus harvesting tools andrefers particularly to a device comprising cutting means and areceptacle for receiving the cut asparagus.

One of the objects of the invention is the construction of a too-lwhereby asparagus may be quickly severed from its roots and quicklyplaced into a receiving basket mounted on the frame of the cutting tool.

Wit-h the above and other objects in view the invention comprisescertain combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts, clearlydescribed in the following specification and clearly illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein,

Figure l is a side elevation of the improved tool, Fig. 2 is a detailperspective view of a holder, Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of theimproved tool, Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the receivingbasket, and Fig. 5 is a detail transverse sectional view taken on line55 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention 1denotes the side members of the forward part of the frame, which aresecured to a bottom member 2, on which a severing knife 3 is secured bythe bolt 4;. The inner wall surfaces of the side members 1 are providedwith longitudinally extending grooves 5, one of which is indicated indotted lines in Fig. 1. To the rear ends of the side members 1 a handleframe is secured. This handle frame consists of the bottom member 6,which is provided with guides 7 and with a laterally extending handle 8,suitably braced to the bottom member '6 by the angle brace 9. Betweenthe guides 7 and the side members 1 the operating bar 10 moves. Thisbar, which is preferably made of wood, is provided with a handle 11,whereby it may be reciprocated on the bottom member 6 and between theguides 7 and the side members 1. The bar 10 is provided with pins 12,only one of which is indicated, which fit in the grooves 5, so that thebar 10 will be held in place.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 9, 1910.

devices 17 are Patented Mar. 14, 1911. Serial No. 560,369.

The bar 10 is provided with an offset- 13 which is connected to the legs14 of the U- shaped support 15, the middle portion of which is securedto the rod 16, the upper and lower terminals of which are provided withthe U-shaped devices 17, which are adapted to engage the stock of theasparagus to be cut.

A basket or receptacle 18 is secured to the side members 1 to receivecut asparagus, which can fall through the opening 19, between the endsof the forward bottom member 2 and the rear bottom member 6. The rearend of the basket or receptacle 19 is open so that the material,consisting of cut asparagus and dirt can be emptied.

To operate the harvesting tool the clips of placed against an asparagusstock and the knife 3 is forced by the operator exerting pressure on thehandle 8, so that the asparagus is severed. After this is done theasparagus is withdrawn over the bottom member 2 and the opening 19, sothat it will fall into the basket or receptacle 18. By shaking the outasparagus in the receptacle or basket the dirt around the same may beremoved without difficulty.

By means of the improved cutter or asparagus harvester a worker canquickly sever asparagus from their roots without enduring the usual backstrains, as the device enables a Worker to stand erect while harvestingthe asparagus.

Having described my invention I claim 1. An asparagus harvesting toolcomprising a knife, means for holding the knife having side members, areceptacle secured thereto, and means adapted to engage an asparagusslidable between the side members, whereby a cut asparagus can be placedin the receptacle.

2. In an asparagus harvesting tool, side members, a knife securedbetween the side members, a bar slidable between the side members, saidside members having grooved walls, pins on the bar slidable on thegrooved walls, a receptacle supported by the side members, a handleframe secured to the side members, a handle on the handle frame, ahandle on the bar, guides on the handle frame for the bar, a support onthe bar, and an asparagus holder mounted on the support.

3. An asparagus gathererconsisting of a frame having an opening thereonintermediate of its ends, a basket secured to said frame communicatingwith said opening, a

frame communicating with said opening, a

cutter secured to the lower end of said frame,

a channel formed on said frame, a sliding gathering member movabletoward said basket mounted in said channel, grooves in the sides of saidchannel, pins on said sliding member operating in said groove.

5. An asparagus gatherer consisting of a frame having an opening thereinintermediate of its ends, a basket secured to said frame communicatingwith said opening, a cutter secured to said frame, a channel formed onsaid frame, a sliding member mounted in said channel, grooves in thesides of said channel, pins on said sliding member in said groove, and astalk engaging member movable toward said basket and operated by saidsliding member.

6. An asparagus gatherer consisting of a frame having an opening thereinintermediate of its ends, a basket secured to said frame communicatingwith said opening, a cutter secured to the lower end of said frame, achannel formed on said frame, a sliding member mountedin said channel,grooves in the sides of said channel, pins on said sliding member insaid groove, a stalk engaging member operated by said sliding member,said stalk engaging member movable toward said basket and consisting ofa body portion and supporting arms.

7 An asparagus gatherer consisting of a frame having an opening thereinintermediate of its ends, a basket secured to said frame communicatingwith said opening, a cutter secured to the lower end of said frame, achannel formed on said frame, a sliding member mounted in said channel,grooves in the sides of said channel, pins on saidslid- Copies of thispatent may be obtained for ing member in said groove, a stalk engagingmember movable toward said basket and o erated by said sliding member,said stalk engaging member consisting of a body portion and supportingarms, said arms being located on opposite portions of said body.

8. An asparagus gatherer consisting of a frame having an opening thereinintermediate of its ends, a basket secured to said frame communicatingwith said opening, a cutter secured to the lower end of said frame, achannel formed in said frame, a sliding member mounted in said channel,grooves in the sides of said channel, pins on said sliding member insaid groove a stalk engaging member movable toward said basket andoperated by said sliding member, said stalk engaging member consistingof a body portion and supporting arms, said arms being located onopposing portions of said body, and means for securing said body to saidsliding member.

9. An asparagus gatherer consisting of a frame having an openingintermediate of its ends, a basket secured to said frame communicatingwith said opening, a cutter secured to said frame, a channel formed insaid frame, a sliding member mounted in said channel, grooves in thesides of said channel, pins on said sliding member in said groove, astalk engaging member operated by said sliding member, said stalkengaging member movable toward said basket consisting of a body portionand supporting arms, said arms being located. on opposing portions ofsaid body, means for securing said body to said sliding member, saidmeans consisting of a V-shaped loop, said cutter being removably securedto said frame, handles on said frame and said sliding member foroperating said asparagus gatherer.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ASA A. SMITH.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM ADAMs, AMos J. BUTTRICK.

fivecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

\ Washington, D. C.

